Broody hen raising ducklings

[EngeFamilyFarms]

does anybody have experience letting a broody hen hatch and raise ducklings? We have 2 hens and a drake khaki Campbell’s. They are prep for egg production so I doubt they will go broody. We also have 7 chicken hens in the same run. Do you think I will have a better chance of letting a hen hatch the ducklings? Do I need to separate the hen and ducklings from the other birds so they don’t get hurt or will mama protect them?? Thanks for all the info!

 

[Mosey2003]

If you have a broody chicken, then yes, she can raise ducklings if she'll sit long enough. I've seen people have it done. You'll want to separate her to her own place in the coop if possible, do that after dark once you're sure she's good and setting so you don't put her off.

It's better to let a chicken brood ducks than to let a duck brood chickens (if you have a pond etc) - I've heard of mama ducks leading chicks to the water and it not going well...

 

[casportpony]

I agree 100% with @Mosey2003.

 

[Redhead Rae]

It's better to let a chicken brood ducks than to let a duck brood chickens (if you have a pond etc) - I've heard of mama ducks leading chicks to the water and it not going well...

Took the words right out of my fingertips.

 

[Mosey2003]

Gosh guys, makin' me blush over here

 

[sylviethecochin]

I've done that twice. The first hen was not at all experienced and she did amazingly well.

Psycho is one of my best brooders. She's a pretty small hen (OEGB/Australorp cross) but she set and hatched a nest of thirteen duck eggs, and, seeing that they did not look at all like her previous hatches, promptly tried to kill them all.

So keep an eye on the situation.

 

[EngeFamilyFarms]

Took the words right out of my fingertips.

Thanks for the great insight everyone! How do I make a hen go broody? Leave eggs?

 

[Mosey2003]

Thanks for the great insight everyone! How do I make a hen go broody? Leave eggs?

You can't make one. If you have some that still have the tendency in them, you can encourage it by making a cozy, dark nest and filling it with marked eggs. Other than that, not a whole lot you can do I don't think.

If you use wooden/ceramic eggs or real eggs, take a Sharpie and draw a line all the way around the center. That way, if they do adopt the nest, you can quickly identify the fakes and get them out when appropriate.

 

[silkie1472]

I once had a bantam black Cochin hatch 5 ducklings and a bantam Americana (butchered that I believe) hatch 6 ducklings. They were mallards but raised like wood ducks. The chickens laid in wood duck boxes so when they went broody I just put the mallard eggs in with them. Jump day for the mallards was interesting too. All survived though.

 

[sourland]

@Mosey2003 and @sylviethecochin both make good points. Not all hens will set the additional week needed to hatch mallard derived eggs so have a 'Plan B' in mind - most will. Duck hens tend to crush chicken eggs. If a duck hen does hatch chicks it is best to remove them so they don't get wet and chilled. Sylvie makes a point about some hens knowing the 'difference'. I once had a RIR hen that hatched a brood of RIR chicks and was an excellent mother. Her next clutch was mixed eggs, and she killed every chick that was 'different'. Good luck.